CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH

Dealing with the issue of reducing burden of tobacco related diseases:

• by helping smokers to stop smoking, reduce smoking or switch to less harmful products
• to perform more quit attempts
• to reduce risk by use of nicotine replacement

CONTRIBUTION TO CARDIOLOGY, ONCOLOGY, PNEUMOLOGY and other specialities

• cessation and risk reduction
• introducing CO measurements as routine diagnostic, replacing the so far used simple questions like: how much do you smoke
• stressing the no/low risks of nicotine replacement in cardiac patients
• this refers as well to preventive, clinical and rehabilitative cardiology, oncology, etc.
• following the nicotine dependence/prevention oncology - concepts offer a new dimension for oncology
• in particular the chemoprevention of lung cancer by nicotine hypothesis which is the by far most promising new approach to control the lung cancer epidemic

ACTIVITIES

The following examples of possible activities should demonstrate the possible scope of the Nicotine Institute:

Services

• information of clients (smokers)
• advising institutions of the medical systems (KONSILIARDIENST)
• diagnosis and treatment of patients/clients
• newsletter & regular infos
• seminars for journalists, political opinion leaders, regulatory agencies and organising scientific meetings

Research

• epidemiology of nicotine/tobacco dependence with the focus of identifying high risk groups which would be the target samples for risk reduction
• setting up a pilot activity called "long term Nicotine Substitution Clinic"
• setting up a pilot activity called "Nicotine Day Clinic"
• exposing the health care system to newer scientific findings and procedures and evaluating the compliance of the medical system
• expose the expects of various kinds with the new concepts e.g. harm reduction
• following up the various research activities in Vienna and elsewhere (collaborating partners)